TheSamba.com :: View topic - Trying to decide the fate of my 1964 beetle! Restore? Sell?

Sat Jul 26, 2014 2:11 pm

Hey friends!
I have a 1964 beetle and have slightly lost my drive to fix her up and am trying to decide what to do. I don't have a great space to work on her anymore so most of the work would have to be done by others. Right now, she's got a GREAT new-ish engine built from the ground up and runs perfect. Body panels are straight minus the drivers door has a large dent in it and the front clip where the front hood latch is got bumped so is pushed in and has rust. Otherwise, no real rust on the car.
That said, I'm just looking to make her into something fun to drive that feels "clean". The interior headliner is destroyed, I have decent seats in it though.
Here's my things that I think would make her the car I want to drive more:
1. New nice exhaust (quieter than the 4x monza i have now)
2. Body restoration (sandblast and cheap paint?)
3. New rims and tires (oldschool porsche style)
4. Lower it a bit
5. New running boards
6. New body seals
7. Repair door (big pushed in dent)
8. Repair/replace front clip area where hood latches (seems expensive?)

Anyways, I only have about $4k to put into this project and not a lot of time to do it myself. Is it a lost cause?

Sat Jul 26, 2014 3:45 pm

$4K is a BIG budget from where I come from!! Keep it!

Maybe: Instead of watching re-runs of M*A*S*H, go and work on your car after you have put the kids to bed, etc. Do 90 mins, two or three nights per week... and once a month put in a full Saturday or Sunday.

Can you re-spray over the paint that is already there? That will save some money... as long as the paint is in good condition. And maybe some whitewalls and fresh chrome...?

A headliner is $100... etc

Sat Jul 26, 2014 6:02 pm

Selling it in the present condition you will never see 1/2 of your $4000 .
Decide now if you want to take the hit $....or get back on the horse and finish the race...

..All it takes is time and money

Sat Jul 26, 2014 8:33 pm

that's a tough spot to be in. honestly without seeing the car, 4k for teh bodywork you mentioned and then paint you would be pushing it. add in new wheels, tires, exhaust, i think you may run over budget. that said tho, the bodywork and such will take time, this may give you a chance to save up some more to get the rest done.

it's a hard thing but you may be better off selling the car now, taking a hit to what you already have invested in it, and buying another car that is closer to what you want.

what's your time worth to you??